Romans: The Heart of the Gospel – Paul’s Ambitions as an Apostolic Missionary

Peter Barnes | Romans 15:19b-21

SERMON  NOTES
PAUL’S  AMBITIONS  AS  AN  APOSTOLIC  MISSIONARY
(Romans  15:19b-21)

Paul’s  stays  at  Ephesus  (Acts 20:31)  and  Corinth  (Acts 18:11)  were  exceptional.  He  usually  pressed  on.

1.  Paul  sought  to  extend  Christ’s  kingdom.

– 15:19b;  from  Jerusalem  (Acts 9:28)  to  Illyricum  (around  modern  Albania,  north  of  Macedonia)

– Illyricum  is  not  mentioned  in  Acts,  but  Acts  does  not  tell  everything  (e.g.  see  2 Cor.11:22-28)

2.  Paul  avoided  empire-building.

– 15:20;  it  was  the  false  apostles  who  tried  to  usurp  someone  else’s  turf  (2 Cor.10:12-16)

– David  Livingstone  in  Africa  and  James  Hudson  Taylor  in  China  both  wanted  to  go  beyond  the  other  missionaries.

– we  are  to  think  in  kingdom  terms,  not  our  little  empire

3.  Both  Testaments  teach  that  without  Christ,  there  is  no  salvation.

– 15:21;  citings  Isa.52:15;  all  have  sinned,  all  are  in  need  of  salvation  (Isa.53:6)

– sincerity  is  not  enough  (Rom.10:2);  hence  Rom.10:13-17